Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, particularly as resolution increases. The benchmark results show a clear narrative: the Arc B370, a low-power integrated part, is the definitive bottleneck, while the i5-14600K provides ample headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to understand the relationship between the CPU, GPU, and the game's settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting component at all resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 55 FPS at 1920x1080 to 35 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 18 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 49% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear; the cost of rendering each additional pixel at 4K is immense for the Arc B370, which is operating far beyond its intended performance envelope.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a factor in this scaling. The i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between resolutions, as the frame rate would be capped by processor limits rather than pixel throughput. Instead, the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

At Low settings, the pattern persists but with higher absolute numbers. The average frame rate at 1080p is 95 FPS, which drops to 61 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are similar to High settings, reinforcing that the resolution is the dominant factor. Even with the lowest graphical load, the Arc B370 cannot maintain a playable frame rate at 4K, highlighting its fundamental resolution limits. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Low settings still results in a 48% performance loss, proving that the GPU's rendering capabilities are exhausted regardless of the preset.

The scaling behavior points to the Arc B370's memory architecture. With "System Shared" memory and bandwidth described as "System Dependent," the GPU's performance is tied to the system's memory bandwidth. At higher resolutions, the demand for texture data and frame buffer memory increases, which likely saturates the shared memory bus. This creates a bottleneck that is independent of the CPU's capabilities, further confirming that the i5-14600K is not the constraining factor in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience balances visual fidelity with a playable frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 55 FPS, which is a solid baseline. However, the Medium preset offers a significant improvement, hitting 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. The data indicates that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot, providing a 33% performance boost over High while likely maintaining a visually similar experience. The jump to Low yields 95 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be necessary for the frame rate gain.

For 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset averages 35 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a city builder. The Medium preset, however, provides a more comfortable 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1440p, as it offers a playable experience without the substantial visual downgrade of the Low preset. The Low preset at 61 FPS is an option for users prioritizing smoothness, but the Medium preset is the best balance of performance and quality.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets provide a truly smooth experience. The High preset averages just 18 FPS, and even the Low preset only reaches 32 FPS. The Medium preset sits in between at 25 FPS. Given the data, 4K gaming is not viable with this GPU. If a user must run at this resolution, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, but the benchmark results indicate that the Arc B370 is not suited for 4K in this title. For the best experience, users should target 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, depending on their display's native resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. Its performance data shows it ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This places it in a very low performance tier, and its nearest rivals include legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the AMD Radeon HD 5770. The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 300 MHz with a boost up to 2400 MHz, but these clocks are insufficient to drive modern games at high resolutions.

The GPU's memory configuration is a critical weakness. It uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," which ties performance directly to the system's memory bus. For Steamworld Build, a city builder that likely requires significant memory for asset streaming, this shared memory setup can cause stuttering and low frame rates. The 25 W TDP and "IGP" slot width confirm that this is not a high-performance discrete solution, but rather a basic integrated graphics core.

The benchmark data shows that the GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is not enough for this game's demands. While the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, the raw performance is limited. The measured frame rates at 4K Ultra (12 FPS) and even 1440p Ultra (23 FPS) are unplayable, demonstrating the GPU's inability to handle high shader complexity. The GPU's role in this configuration is the primary bottleneck, and its performance characteristics are the sole reason for the low frame rates observed in the measured data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact average frame rates recorded for each resolution and settings combination.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. The High preset improves upon this, reaching 55 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers a more robust 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. The Low preset offers the highest performance at 95 FPS average. The data shows a clear progression: each step down in settings yields a substantial increase in frame rate, from 37 to 55 to 73 to 95 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 23 FPS average. The High preset averages 35 FPS. The Medium preset provides 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The Low preset reaches 61 FPS average. The performance gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, with the High preset losing 20 FPS and the Medium preset losing 27 FPS when moving up in resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset plummets to 12 FPS average. The High preset averages 18 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 25 FPS average, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS. The Low preset is the only option above 30 FPS, averaging 32 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even the Low preset failing to maintain a smooth 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 21 FPS indicates significant frame time spikes, leading to a stuttering experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where playable frame rates are achievable. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 73 FPS, while the High preset averages 55 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 46 FPS, which is playable but less smooth. 4K is not viable, with the High preset averaging only 18 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to the Low preset at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS, while the Low preset averages 95 FPS. This represents a 158% performance increase from Ultra to Low. The trade-off is a significant reduction in visual quality, but the frame rate gain is substantial.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would not drop so drastically with increased resolution. The i5-14600K's high multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 score of 24491, suggests it has ample headroom for this game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 39 FPS. This indicates that while the average is 46 FPS, there are moments where performance dips, which could be noticeable during intense city-building scenes.

Q: How does this GPU rank compared to other GPUs in the benchmark database?

A: The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its average 3DMark score of 1184 places it in the same performance tier as legacy cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which has an average score of 1190.

Q: Is there a settings preset that provides a stable 60 FPS experience at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the average FPS is 95. However, at Medium preset, the average is 73 FPS, which is above 60. At 1440p, the Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064. The processor ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performance part. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and the AMD EPYC 4345P, with performance deltas of -0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, simulation, and asset streaming. The data suggests that the i5-14600K is more than capable of these tasks. The frame rates are consistently low across all settings, which would not be the case if the CPU were struggling. A CPU bottleneck typically manifests as similar frame rates across different resolutions, but the data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases. This is direct evidence that the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a solid foundation for gaming. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance, which is often important for simulation games. The PassMark single-thread score of 4270 is robust. However, in this specific configuration, the CPU's power is largely untapped, as the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU's frame generation capabilities. The i5-14600K is effectively waiting for the Arc B370 to render each frame.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This low ranking is entirely attributable to the GPU's performance. The CPU is a high-end part, but pairing it with a low-end integrated GPU creates a significant imbalance that hinders overall system performance.

The combo's rank reflects the measured frame rates, which are generally low. For context, the GPU's performance percentile is 5%, meaning it outperforms only 5% of all GPUs. The CPU's percentile is 90%, showing a stark contrast in capability. This disparity confirms that the combo's low rank is due to the GPU's inability to utilize the CPU's power. The data shows that this is not a balanced pair for this game; it is a CPU-heavy setup held back by an extremely weak GPU.

The nearest rivals for the GPU include the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, with delta percentages of -0.5% and -0.7%, respectively. This highlights the GPU's dated performance level. The combo's rank of 2683 suggests that most other tested configurations, even those with older CPUs, likely outperform this pair because they have more capable graphics solutions. The i5-14600K's high benchmark scores do not translate into in-game performance when paired with the Arc B370, underscoring the importance of a balanced system for gaming.